Children's Evaluation & Rehabilitation Center

Specialized Services

Baby Team (BT)

Baby Team is a family-centered intervention program for children ages 3 to 24 months and their parents or primary caregivers. The program provides services necessary to improve children's skills in their areas of deficit, while strengthening all areas of development and supporting families in caring for their child with special needs. After a complete diagnostic evaluation, children and families are invited to participate and assigned a primary therapist who provides intervention, education, support and case management in consultation with the multidisciplinary Baby Team staff, as well as the referring CERC diagnostic unit.

CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL ILLNESS (CCMI)

In collaboration with the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) and the Department of Pediatrics/Hematology and Oncology, comprehensive cognitive and psycho-educational evaluations, including components of neuropsychological testing, are offered to children, post chemotherapy to address possible cognitive and memory deficits, and/or to provide baseline developmental testing. Similar services are available to children with a variety of chronic illnesses, including sickle cell disease, asthma, metabolic disorders, cardiac abnormalities, and lead poisoning. Testing and assistance for families in obtaining appropriate educational services is also available for youngsters suffering from traumatic brain injury.

Developmental Support Services (DSS)

Developmental Support Services (DSS) offers assistance to children and adolescents ages 6-21 with significant behavioral and severe developmental delays, including autism and/or intellectual disabilities. DSS targets the development of activities of daily living skills in order to help children cope more effectively within their environments. Services include: Therapy/Social Skills to develop more effective communication skills, cooperative play skills and emotional regulation. Also offered are Behavior Management Training to provide parents with effective behavior management strategies, Parent Groups to provide parents with social support through contact with other parents who are struggling to meet the demands of living with a developmentally disabled child and Individual Parent Counseling to provide parent with emotional support and guidance concerning their child/adolescent. Assistance with case management and concrete services is also offered.

Seizure Management Clinic (SMC)

This clinic provides care to developmentally disabled children who have a seizure disorder. Under the supervision of a pediatric neurologist and the management of developmental pediatricians, anticonvulsant medications are prescribed.

Medication Clinic (MC)

This clinic, directed by a psychiatrist, provides an initial assessment of children with emotional and behavioral disorders who might benefit from psychopharmacological treatment. If indicated, psychopharmacological treatment is then provided. The behavioral and educational functioning of children taking the prescribed medication is closely monitored by medical and nursing personnel.

Nutrition Clinic (NC)

Children with disabilities who are overweight, underweight or who have nutrition-related health problems are treated at this clinic. Nutrition counseling is also offered to improve the diets of children with eating difficulty or eating-related behavior problems..

Ophthalmology Clinic (OC)

This clinic provides eye examinations to diagnose and treat visual conditions, as well as to help confirm the presence of some syndromes in individuals with intellectual and other disabilities. The exams are tailored to the age, developmental stage, verbal ability and level of cooperation of each patient. One of the unique aspects of this ophthalmology clinic is its collaboration with the dentistry center. Occasionally, despite the use of comforting techniques, a patient is unable to cooperate with a full exam in the eye clinic; in these cases, the option of scheduling eye and dental appointments for the same morning is offered. On such a visit, a patient's eyes are examined while his or her movements are being restricted for outpatient dental care.